Advertising signs and/or displays are used in a number of different businesses and frequently serve as point of sale devices. Typical signs include the well-known real estate signs, which are placed in front of homes being offered for sale. Typically, these signs include a vertical post with a horizontal arm extending outwardly from it, under which a sign, identifying the Realtor, is displayed. Usually, these signs include the telephone number of either the Realtor or of the seller of the home, without any further information. Some real estate signs include an additional hollow tube, open at one end and suspended beneath the sign, for holding information related to the property which is being sold. This information usually is in the form of a single sheet brochure; and a number of these brochures are rolled up together and placed in the tube, so that they may be withdrawn by prospective purchasers. Because the brochures are held in an open tube, they are subject to damage from rain or snow which may enter the tube from the open end.
A number of patents have been directed to combinations of advertising signs and dispensers for providing information to interested persons. For example, the United States patent to Kruse U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,905 is directed to a portable display sign, which includes an interior space designed to store display cards. The front and rear walls of the display sign have frames in them which are used for inserting removable display cards. The box-like structure of the sign has a space within it which is used to store additional display cards. The cards which are stored within the sign are not intended to be removed or handed out, but are intended as alternate displays for the exposed panels of the sign.
The United States patent to Golkowski U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,337 is directed to a real estate display sign. The sign is designed to hold replaceable display cards; and it is of a relatively thick walled construction, which has transparent walls on opposite sides. Replaceable display cards are placed between the transparent walls; and the device of this patent includes a second supplementary display area designed to permit rapid interchange of supplemental information cards.
The U.S. patent to Rathburn U.S. Pat. No. 2,299,409 is directed to a cabinet for a telephone book and for an advertising display. The cabinet has a pivotally mounted drawer which is used to contain information. The drawer pivots about its lower edge to expose a list of telephone numbers or other information located inside the cabinet and covered by the drawer when it is in its closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,177,595 to DeMinico is directed to a card holder for placement on the window of an automobile. This holder includes a container for cards, which may be removed by a prospective purchaser. There is no separate sign and card holder; but the entire device is intended simply as a holder for displaying removable information.
The U.S. patent to Pickett U.S. Pat. No. 1,668,378 is a rectangular box-like sign. The device has replaceable display cards or panels on it, but does not include a separate drawer or container for removable brochures or cards.
The U.S. patent to Bingaman U.S. Pat. No. 1,422,529 is a combination sign and card holder. The sign section extends above a horizontally located card-holding box, which is open at its top. The sign provides desired information; and the card holder box contains cards which are available for removal by interested parties.
The U.S. Pat. No. 1,127,223 to Fogle discloses a cabinet with a display area for display cards. Cards not in current use may be stored inside the cabinet interior in a separate compartment.
The U.S. patent to Falk U.S. Pat. No. 1,061,601 is directed to a relatively complex mechanical advertising device. The device includes a flat surface with a paper roll located adjacent this surface. The paper roll extends over this surface and is directed to an area with instructions for the entry of the name and address of a person desiring to obtain information from the sign/display Operation of a lever causes the provided information to be stored and a mechanism is operated to dispense a display card to the person effecting the operation.
The patent to Rich U.S. Pat. No. 454,292 discloses a box-like advertising device which has vertical panels on it, into which advertising signs may be inserted and removed from the top. A number of drawers are located around the bottom of the cabinet: for receiving money or "paste-board" checks of the type formerly used in the barber industry at the time this patent was obtained.
While the foregoing patents disclose a number of different techniques used to display information and, in some cases, to serve as a repository or dispenser for cards to be taken by interested persons, none of these patents are particularly suitable for outdoor use or high traffic use where the structure for the sign itself also includes an interior drawer for holding removable information to be dispensed to persons desiring such information
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved advertising sign and display device, which is simple in construction, uncluttered in design, and easy to use to dispense information to interested persons, and which also overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art devices.